1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a display device, and the display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device having an array substrate and a color filter substrate exists. In this case, in the array substrate, plural transistors such as Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) are formed in an array on a transparent substrate. Also, the color filter substrate is laminated above the array substrate through a liquid crystal layer and color filters thereof are formed on the transparent substrate.
In the display device, plural spacers are disposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate for the purpose of ensuring a spacer for formation of the liquid crystal layer. Since no liquid crystal layer is formed in an area in which the plural spacers exist, there is the possibility that a light transmitted through the spacers to be usually leaked to reduce a contrast.
For this reason, in the array substrate, a light blocking pattern for blocking the light is formed in an area corresponding to the area in which the spacer is disposed. However, in this structure, an area for formation of the light blocking pattern needs to be newly provided in the array substrate. Therefore, a light transmission area in a pixel, that is, an opening area is reduced. In a word, an aperture ratio of the pixel is reduced.
On the other hand, there is known a technique for disposing the spacer above an area of the array substrate in which the TFT is formed. Since the TFT has a metallic pattern for blocking the light, the TFT functions as a light blocking area. For this reason, the spacer is disposed above the area in which the TFT is formed, whereby the spacer can be diverted to a light blocking pattern for the measures taken to cope with the light leakage due to the spacers. With this technique, since the area for formation of the light blocking pattern needs not to be newly provided in the array substrate, it is possible to increase the aperture ratio of the pixel.
For example, there is known a technique with which a gap control layer for controlling a gap defined between an active element side substrate and a facing side substrate is formed above an active element formed on the active element side substrate. This technique, for example, is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-62789 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
In addition, a technique with which after a photosensitive resin is formed on a substrate having a light blocking layer formed thereon and exposure is carried out for the photosensitive resin from a back surface side with the light blocking layer as a mask, a development and baking treatment is carried out, thereby selectively forming a spacer on the light blocking layer is known as one of methods of manufacturing spacers. This technique, for example, is described Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-307181. In addition, there is known a technique with which back surface exposure patterning is carried out with a black matrix pattern on a substrate as a mask by using a linear beam, thereby forming a protrusion body between parallel substrates. This technique, for example, is described Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-120767.